Limekiln Creek is a vital habitat for southern steelhead trout, the entire Limekiln and Hare watershed is free flowing. Part of the family Salmonidae, which includes salmon and trout, steelhead are the anadromous form of rainbow trout, which means the fish are born in freshwater and migrate to the ocean as adults.*
*Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur by Analise Elliot
The Big Sur mountains and canyons were once shamelessly exploited for its natural resources. Clearcutting redwoods and extensive mining threatened the natural beauty of the landscape.
Limekiln Canyon has four stone and iron furnaces that were built at the base of a large talus slope eroding from a limestone deposit. Limestone rocks were loaded into the kilns, where very hot wood fires burned for long periods to purify the lime.**
The lime was packed into barrels, hauled by wagon to Rockland Landing on the coast and loaded onto ships that carried it to northern ports for use in concrete.**
After only three years, the limestone was all but depleted, as was the redwood forest that had been nearly clearcut to use for lumber and fuel. Today the four kilns, some stone walls, and bridge abutments are the only remains of the once-thriving lime industry.** The forest is restored, the redwoods in the area have returned and new growth sprouts victorious out the top of the rusting kilns.
**Textual information from the Limekiln State Park published by California State Parks
Little Sur River
The river mouth and lower Little Sur watershed are private property and are not open to the public. They are visible by using the pull-outs on the southern end of Highway 1. The Little Sur area’s most pristine rivers. It has one of the best steelhead trout runs along the coast, and great blue herons and belted kingfishers hunt in its pools and eddies.*
The Natural History of Big Sur by Paul Henson and Donald J. Usner
Big Sur River
The Big Sur River is a long, relatively gentle watercourse in spite of the fact that it cuts through very rugged terrain. The Big Sur watershed is the largest coastal drainage in the Big Sur area, draining about 60 square miles of steep terrain in the heart of the north-central mountains.*
The Natural History of Big Sur by Paul Henson and Donald J. Usner
Julia Pfeiffer State Park - McWay Falls
